Just Tonight
by Seph Meadowes
Summary: The real mark of a girl in love is when she stays for a lost cause. Jace/Caroline. Day #5 of The Month of Caroline challenge. Complete.


_Just tonight I won't leave  
>And I'll lie and you'll believe<br>Just tonight I will see  
>It's all because of me<em>

**- The Pretty Reckless, Just Tonight**

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><p>Months after <em>The Big Reveal<em> took the world like a hurricane. Vampire parties became the hottest place to be for those silly Twilight-brainwashed humans who thought vampires were eternal romantics with fangs and a taste for their blood. Only the latter was true really. And Caroline had had enough of those stupid rich boys who taught getting in her pants would be easy because she's supposed to be some blonde hussy who's going to swoon over his Daddy Warbuck's money.

Life fuck she would.

She made this clear by almost breaking the arm off one of those idiots who tried to keep her leaving by grabbing her as she tried to walk away.

White noise clouded her ears as she stared down at the pathetic human clutching his arm to his chest and screaming his lungs out. She didn't even break it properly, twisted it a little maybe but nothing to be so dramatic about. God, people were so controversial.

"We're leaving." Raphael was suddenly by her side, clutching her by her forearm and dragging her through the crowd of people circling the screaming human and watching the whole scene like the sheep that they were.

Caroline just let the older vampire pull her out of the building and into the dark streets of New York. It wasn't until they were far enough from earshot that he stopped and turned to her, clearly not happy with her actions. "What'd I tell you about laying low, Caroline?"

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. This boy – man, wasn't her sire and yet he insisted on acting like it just because she'd been staying with his coven for the past few weeks due to necessity as she knew no one in the city and had no income to get a place of her own. She owed him, yes, but he didn't _own_ her.

"I really wasn't listening at that time, care to repeat for me?"

He smiled sardonically at her sass. "Not particularly."

She returned the sour smile. "Great, then can I go now?"

His eyes were pools of black that reminded her of the icy murky water in early December. He just shook his head at her and turned away, not saying anything more on the matter. That surprised her. Raphael usually enjoyed the rant, loved hearing his own voice and what not.

She only blinked before going the other direction.

She wouldn't waste time thinking about that. He wasn't worth it.

* * *

><p>She later found herself at one of the Downworlder cafes that Lily liked to visit so much. It was small and cosy, something she found comforting because it reminded her a bit of home and she vaguely wondered about how everyone in Mystic Falls was doing. Had the crazy love triangles been resolved? Was Jeremy getting past his teenage all-torn up inside emo stage?<p>

Did anyone miss her?

Just the question alone scared her more than what the answer might be. She resolved not to think about that anymore and asked simply for some coffee when the waitress asked for her order. She'd been drinking it straight black ever since Jacob nagged on her about her prissiness 'with all that chocolate, sugar and cream shit'. Just because _she _was born in the decade of Starbucks didn't give him the right to be mean.

"Is this seat taken?" A male voice suddenly said. Even with her superb sensory, she'd been too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice anyone approaching her table. Her supreme lack of self preservation instincts was just one of the many things Raphael harped on her about.

When she looked up to the newcomer, she had to stifle the 'wow' that almost came out of her mouth. It was almost like looking into the sun. He was all gold, cream and bronze from his blonde hair to the tight tanned skin over defined muscles. And let's not forget the rune scars patterned on them.

Ah, a Shadowhunter. Caroline hadn't had the chance to actually meet one before, they simply didn't exist in a small town in Virginia but a big city like New York? Definitely.

Luckily, she knew enough from Raphael and the other vampires to be able to identify one. You had to be ready to run if they were going to hunt you down after all. And Caroline didn't particularly feel like starring in an Open Season for the supernatural police.

"Excuse me?" She finally replied when he started to look at her like she was touched in the head. She just liked to daydream that's all, nothing alarming.

He smiled at her, all rows of white teeth and a cockiness to him that reminded her a bit of Damon. This was the type of boy who would break your heart and only be mildly regretful about it. That smile almost promised of sexual fantasies coming true and she had to stop herself from melting. Why make it easier for him?

"My name's Jace." He told her, taking the seat across from her on the booth and quickly dominating the atmosphere as his charm started to ooze off every pore in his body. This boy was sex on legs. "What's your name?"

She shrugged. "Does it matter?" She wasn't even trying to be coy. As hot as this boy was, she just didn't feel like fucking the night away and being another name on his probably long list of conquests.

She was in too much of a bad mood, maybe if he'd come some under night?

He cocked his head and stared at her in an assessing manner. It made her skin prickle with discomfort. She never did like being someone's object of interest to ogle and observe. "I suppose not." He nodded as if seeing her point.

She inwardly rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee, mentally wincing at the bitter taste but she still refused to add anything into it. It was a matter of pride.

He smiled at her again, all bright and fucking gorgeous. "But wouldn't make it a bit more…tangible if I did know your name?" Boy, he was persistent. It would be kinda cute if she really was in a better mood but not really.

"You have a nice smile," She told him, going off topic. "The kind seen on toothpaste commercials and ads for curing herpes,"

He blinked at her confused for a full minute before shaking his head and leaning back and relaxing more on his seat. "You're a tough one, aren't you?"

"Like a stiffy," She deadpanned and he laughed.

Oh hell, he had a nice laugh and she had nothing better to do with her night. So, why not? Maybe a good lay would lighten her mood. And his smile promised anything but.

"Let's get out of here."

* * *

><p>She wasn't wrong, of course. He was good in bed, knew just what to do and she didn't even really care if he kept saying some other girl's name throughout. His shit was his business and she didn't care to hear about it. She had other things to deal with.<p>

But still, heavy in the afterglow, they cuddled like real lovers. His hands stroking the soft skin of her back as she lay on her stomach, the motel bed's sheets tangled in the limbs and making a prison of cloth. She was sleepy and satisfied and felt herself drifting off to sleep until he spoke. Curse this, beautiful boy.

"What's your name?" He asked again. And why did he care so much about learning her name? It was just a name.

"It doesn't matter,"

"Please?"

And the pretty boy could beg for something so little, how nice. It was almost endearing.

"No," She still refused. "But if you want, you can call me 'Clary' again." It was mean and shallow and all it served was to hurt him. And she didn't need a high IQ to see just how much baggage this boy was carrying. His golden eyes closed off like window blinds and she knew the afterglow had faded.

Disentangling her legs from the sheets, she got up from the bed and started collecting her clothes, still mindful that he was watching her. But he didn't say anything and no words were exchanged until she was fully dressed and she stared into those golden eyes, all the hurt in the world for some girl she didn't know. "It was nice knowing you, Shadowhunter."

He didn't say anything back and she left the motel room, wondering to herself what was going through his head.

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><p>She saw him again a few days later, she just had another argument with Raphael and she knew he was very close to kicking her out. They never really got along well because he was a douchebag and she wouldn't take that down lying. That meant she needed to scourge for a new place to stay soon.<p>

Troubled was the life of a vampire girl.

"Hey,"

Oh by the gods, why did he keep sneaking up on her? Coupled with his Shadowhunter skills and her lack of awareness in her surroundings, he'd always be able to kill her at this rate. She'd never get the chance to run if she became his next job. Just another thing to add to Raphael's growing list of 'Why Caroline Forbes is an idiot'.

"Are we friends now?" She gave him a look, clearly not amused.

Weren't one night stands supposed to be one night only? Or were there new rules these days? But whatever the case, he was there and taking the seat across from her again as if they met up for tea and crumpets every day. What the hell?

"We could be if you wanted," He smiled again, that sex on legs, toothpaste commercial smile. "Complete with benefits too."

She rolled her eyes before giving him a dry look. "What do you really want?"

"What does everybody want?" He made a sweeping motion of his hand like he was presenting the world to her. "Don't we all just want the same thing?"

She decided to humor him, maybe it'd make him leave faster. "And what is that?"

His eyes were suddenly serious and his smile less bright. "To forget."

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><p>She counted herself lucky that vampires couldn't get pregnant. Because if <em>this<em> was suddenly was going to a regular thing, she didn't want to take any chances and end up giving birth to the bastard child of some Shadowhunter with more baggage than all her friends combined. The guy obviously still had hang-ups over this 'Clary' girl and she didn't want to get in the middle of that by becoming his Baby Mama.

His long, calloused fingers tangled in her hair, playing with the blonde curls and smiling lazily at her. Sex had always been good between them, she couldn't deny that. "Still not telling me your name?"

She stifled a yawn before answering. "No."

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><p>"I don't want anything complicated," She told him one night as he pressed her up against the wall of a dark alley, too eager to find a motel to do this in. A part of her should be appalled at being treated like some hooker about to be fucked up against the wall but she really didn't care. Sex was sex, that's all there was in this relationship if you could even call it that.<p>

His hands are quick to get under her dress and pull down her underwear, his hands unzipping his pants and freeing himself. "Good. Me neither." She helpfully raised her hips as he grabbed her things and positioned her legs around his waist and he's in her and no words needed to be said.

As always, it's hard and fast and their moans and cries were swallowed in desperate kisses and she felt like she could almost break.

But as usual, it's only _Clary, Clary Clary_…

And fuck him.

Wait, she already was.

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><p>It ended a few weeks later and she doesn't see the Shadowhunter again until he walked into the café, a small redhead by his side and she can tell by the look in his golden eyes that she was 'Clary'. The girl that he tried so hard to forget but apparently couldn't.<p>

She didn't know what that burning in her throat was suddenly and she swallowed down bitter coffee and forgot about it. Being hurt would be stupid and petty.

She didn't even remember his name after all and he didn't know hers.

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><p><strong>I have never written Jace before saw I was a little apprehensive about this one. Hopefully, it turned out okay. This was written for Day #5 of The Month of Caroline challenge. This was written in the same universe as 'The Runaways', you can even think of it as a prequel of sorts.<br>**


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